Is My Prayer Still Valid If I Fail to Recite the Tashahud Correctly?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Is my prayer still valid if I recite the tashahud erroneously in one place, like saying the letter “alif” instead of the letter “ayn”?

Answer: Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah,

Yes, your prayer would be valid as the vast majority of pronunciation errors don’t affect the validity or soundness of the prayer. Work on your pronunciation (tajwid) outside of the prayer. As for during the prayer. just pray. You and I, thankfully, won’t be the judges of our prayers, so learn what is required of you and then do the best you can, relying on Allah Most High and hoping in His Mercy. Remember that there is no necessary correlation between validity and reward; thus, even if you recited with perfect tajwid, that does not guarantee for you an accepted prayer that is pleasing to Allah Most High.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Seek what is balanced and correct and draw near. Know that none of you will enter the Garden on account of his deeds. The most beloved of actions to Allah are those which are the most constant, even if they are little.” [Bukhari]

Please also see: Do Grammatical and Pronunciation Mistakes While Reciting the Qur’an Invalidate Your Prayer? and: What Can I Do About Anxiety in Prayer and Waswas Regarding My Pronunciation?

Consider taking the following free class at SeekersGuidance: Absolute Essentials of Islam: Basic Hanafi Jurisprudence (STEP)

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

wassalam,

Tabraze Azam

Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani